Security Magazine logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • MANAGEMENT
  • PHYSICAL
  • CYBER
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • SECTORS
  • EVENTS
  • MEDIA
  • MORE
  • EMAG
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Security Newswire
  • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
  • Leadership Management
  • Enterprise Services
  • Security Education & Training
  • Logical Security
  • Security & Business Resilience
  • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
  • Access Management
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Identity Management
  • Physical Security
  • Video Surveillance
  • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
  • Cybersecurity News
  • More
  • COLUMNS
  • Cyber Tactics
  • Leadership & Management
  • Security Talk
  • Career Intelligence
  • Leader to Leader
  • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Annual Guarding Report
  • Most Influential People in Security
  • The Security Benchmark Report
  • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
  • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
  • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
  • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
  • Banking/Finance/Insurance
  • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
  • Education: K-12
  • Education: University
  • Government: Federal, State and Local
  • Hospitality & Casinos
  • Hospitals & Medical Centers
  • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
  • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
  • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
  • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
  • Industry Events
  • Webinars
  • Solutions by Sector
  • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Polls
  • Photo Galleries
  • Videos
  • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
  • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
  • MORE
  • Call for Entries
  • Classifieds & Job Listings
  • Continuing Education
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsor Insights
  • Store
  • White Papers
  • EMAG
  • eMagazine
  • This Month's Content
  • Advertise
Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Physical Security

Technologies Offer You a Better Shot at Managing Active Shooter Threats

By Josh Sookman
badguy_enews
January 27, 2015

Preparing for active shooter threats is an increasingly common challenge. Although these events are a low-probability risk at any given site, the magnitude of improperly handling an event of this nature can have devastating effects on your business (i.e. negative PR, public perception, lost sales), your company culture, and possibly even your career.

The frequency of active shooter events per year has increased over the last decade. In a U.S. Department of Homeland Security study released in 2014, 160 active shooter incidents on U.S. soil were documented between 2000 and 2013, resulting in a total of 1,043 casualties.

Active Shooter Locations

Statistically speaking, active shooter locations have skewed most towards businesses and malls, but events have been widespread as can be seen in the breakdown released by the same DHS study previously mentioned – Businesses & Malls (46 percent), Schools (24 percent), Government (10 percent), Houses of Worship (4 percent), Health Care Facilities (3 percent) and Other (13 percent).

Did you know that 83 percent of active shooter events occurred indoors since 2000? (Police Executive Research Forum, 2014 Study) Responding to these types of incidents indoors introduces several complexities, and having the right security technologies in those facilities can offer huge advantages to security and law enforcement teams.

The First 60 Seconds

Security teams can only initiate response to an active shooter event that they know exists. Many traditional ways of reporting emergencies to security may not work in active shooter scenarios because people need to run away, hide and take cover or immediately fight to survive.

Once a threat of this kind is known, at least two of the concurrent processes will involve neutralizing the shooter(s) and ensuring that people who become wounded during the event get immediate medical attention.

Increasingly, one or more technologies are often responsible for security teams becoming aware of active shooter situations. In the majority of recent cases, mobile phones have been used to report active shooters. With the added complexity of managing gunmen within indoor settings, let’s explore two newer indoor technologies and how they can help in the first 60 seconds:

Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS)– IPS systems use Beacons and WiFi together with mobile devices to report floor and room locations of people inside buildings. Pros: Safety apps using IPS can provide IPS-tagged alerts, IPS-tagged communication and photos. IPS-tagged data can be shared with security when a gun is seen, before any shots are fired – and in between shots fired. Cons: Requires an action to be taken by one or more individuals.

Gunshot Sensors– These sensors detect gunshots and report the locations of gunshots indoors or outdoors. Pros: Security teams will be alerted very rapidly about each gunshot fired. Cons: Cost. Sensors limit feedback to specific points in time when shots are fired.

Improving Response with Communication

Most security professionals have a responsibility to notify different stakeholder groups about an active shooter. This responsibility is also an opportunity to engage people, communicate and make better incident management decisions.

Have you thought about how certain individuals in the building may be able to help you? In 80 percent of cases, law enforcement does not arrive within five minutes of a shooter being reported (according to the U.S. Department of Justice). Thus, the only people that have real-time information about the shooter(s), are people in the building – in addition to what security may or may not be able to capture on video cameras.

The question becomes: How do you effectively reach these people and get access to critical information? Two-way notification engines are a great example – those that accept message replies from recipients – and even better if it’s integrated with an IPS system, so that security receives IPS-tagged information.

Responding Law Enforcement

Late last year, President Barack Obama unveiled a plan to spend $75 million to equip more police officers with wearable body cameras. Although that announcement was intended to help resolve disputes between police and witnesses, streaming video from wearable cameras could be used by security leaders in command centers or mobile tactical units to make better decisions based on real-time video from guards or officers close to the action.

Closing Questions

Next time you sit down to analyze your security technology strategy, ask yourself these three questions: How quickly can you detect the location of a severe threat in your facilities? Can you leverage information from people in your organization at a moment’s notice? Are you able to quickly ascertain who needs help and where to find them?

KEYWORDS: active shooter emergency response gunshot detection indoor positioning systems

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Josh sookman   large photo

Josh Sookman is the Founder and VP of Business Development for Guardly, the leading provider of indoor positioning and mobile app-based crisis communications solutions to large enterprises. Josh is an active member of ASIS and SIA, and a contributing writer to several security industry publications. His volunteer work in youth entrepreneurship has included initiatives with Stanford, MIT, Intel, Verizon and several local technology incubators in Toronto, Canada, where he resides. Contact Josh and learn more at: https://www.guardly.com

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cyber Tactics Column
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    New Security Technology
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

blurry multicolored text on black screen

PowerSchool Education Technology Company Announces Data Breach

Half closed laptop

Sudo Vulnerability Discovered, May Exposes Linux Systems

Person holding cellphone

Millions of Android, iPhone Users Could Be Sending Data to China

Events

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

August 27, 2025

Risk Mitigation as a Competitive Edge

In today’s volatile environment, a robust risk management strategy isn’t just a requirement—it’s a foundation for organizational resilience. From cyber threats to climate disruptions, the ability to anticipate, withstand, and adapt to disruption is becoming a hallmark of industry leaders.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • smartphone_enews

    Emergence of Smartphones as a Key Platform for Security Industry

    See More
  • Generic Image for Enterprise Services

    Vendor System Integrations Accelerate in the Security Industry

    See More
  • Generic Image for Fire and Life

    Whitepaper: Assessing Emergency Response Times on Campus

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Hospitality-Security.gif

    Hospitality Security: Managing Security in Today's Hotel, Lodging, Entertainment, and Tourism Environment

  • 150 things.jpg

    Physical Security: 150 Things You Should Know 2nd Edition

  • CPTED.jpg

    CPTED and Traditional Security Countermeasures: 150 Things You Should Know

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!